Novel Full Chapter 1712: I am Me (Magic Castle Bonus)
Chapter 1712: I am Me (Magic Castle Bonus)
Villain Ch 1712. I am Me (Magic Castle Bonus)
Just slightly—he hesitated.
And that was all she needed.
Azura lunged, pain forgotten.
Her dagger shot forward, aimed straight for his heart. She put everything into the thrust—her weight, her doubt, her anger, and something softer she didn’t dare name.
But Allen caught her wrist cleanly.
Effortless.
Fast.
The duel froze—not by the system.
By him.
Time felt thick. Heavy. Her breath came ragged, chest rising and falling inches from his. Their faces were so close she could see the faint glow in his eyes—the flicker of something deeper than power. Something dangerous. Something real.
Azura didn’t look away.
She couldn’t.
There was something in Allen’s expression that tugged at her, something sharp and haunted layered beneath the cold—like he wasn’t sure whether to kill her or kiss her.
He didn’t respond at first. His grip loosened around her wrist—but he didn’t let go.
And neither did she.
For a second, the duel didn’t matter. The arena didn’t matter. The flickering cursed torches, the broken pillars, the red-stained wind—they all just blurred into static. The only thing that felt solid was his hand holding hers. Her heartbeat pounding. The silence stretching too long between breaths.
Her voice dropped, barely above a whisper, threading between them like a string drawn tight.
“I’m not afraid of what you are,” she said, her words catching just a little on the way out.
Allen stared at her, unreadable.
“I should be,” she added, trying to smile. It didn’t quite land. “But I’m not.”
He didn’t blink.
Didn’t move.
Didn’t say anything to comfort her.
His eyes were all shadows and glinting fire—so dark and ancient, they didn’t look like they belonged to someone her age. Not even someone human.
Azura took a slow breath, her voice softer this time. “I know hope’s not supposed to survive around you. But sometimes it does anyway. That’s the problem with hope—it’s stubborn.”
And then the smirk returned—faint, but not cruel. This one was different.
Worn.
A little sad.
“Hope,” he murmured, voice quiet and tired, “is dangerous in my world.”
Then he moved.
No warning.
No sound.
One second he was holding her wrist, the next—gone.
Azura spun, instincts snapping into place, daggers raised. But he was already behind her. His blade slashed—not deep, but enough to let her know she was wide open. The hiss of metal against her arm armor sent sparks in all directions. Her body twisted mid-air, knees skimming the stone as she landed in a roll and pivoted back.
He came again. Cold. Precise. Silent.
This wasn’t sparring anymore. This wasn’t tension.
This was execution.
Azura reacted on reflex, dodging left, then rolling to the right. She tried to duck low and go for a feint stab at his thigh, but he sidestepped like he already read her two moves ahead. His sword flicked across and caught the flat of her dagger, throwing it from her grip.
“Dammit—” she hissed and backflipped just in time to avoid the follow-up slash. The wind sliced against her face, hair snapping loose from her tie, her body barely keeping up with the pace.
‘He’s going for the kill now.’
Not in the literal sense—the pain simulator wouldn’t let her die-die. But the way he moved—she’d seen it once before.
No hesitation.
Just efficiency.
Azura gritted her teeth and pushed herself forward again. She spun around one of the broken pillars and kicked off it, blade aimed for his side. He blocked it effortlessly, then twisted her wrist and sent her stumbling back.
She landed hard.
But she scrambled up again.
Panting.
Bleeding.
Laughing a little, too.
Two years ago… she had actually pushed him to the edge.
Azura’s breath hitched as she adjusted her stance, eyes never leaving him. Her ribs ached, and her arms were burning, but her mind kept flicking back—tournament semi-finals. A different build, a different era. He’d had more health. She’d been faster. Back then, it almost felt like she had a chance.
Almost.
They weren’t that different now, not on paper.
Same level.
Same stat caps.
No skills enabled.
Just movement. Reactions. Pure instinct.
So why couldn’t she touch him?
She flipped her dagger in her hand, just for the comfort of the motion, her heart pounding behind her armor.
Why?
Why was he still unreadable? Why did it feel like he wasn’t reacting to her moves—he was anticipating them?
It’s not just experience.
It’s not gear.
It’s not even the build.
It was him.
And as he started to move again—slow, deliberate—her body tensed all over again.
Then he was gone.
Azura’s heart stuttered.
She spun, rolled back, then tried to twist her torso mid-dodge. Too late.
The sword’s hilt slammed into her ribs—hard.
She gasped, the breath knocked clean out of her, her knees hitting the cracked stone with a crunch. Her vision flashed white at the edges. The pain was real. Clean. Controlled. It didn’t pierce—but it bruised. Deep.
She tried to stand, but her body wavered.
Allen walked up to her slowly, his sword held low. Still calm. Still cold.
She looked up at him, blinking through the static in her eyes.
And for a moment, she saw it again.
Not Allen.
Not even the Devil Emperor.
Just him. Whoever he really was.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly. Sweat clung to her neck, her jaw, her spine. Her limbs trembled.
But she still grinned.
“Gods,” she breathed. “You really are a monster.”
Allen stopped walking.
“You’re not even trying to show off. You’re just… ending me.”
She laughed—short, sharp, painful.
Allen said nothing.
She stood. Wobbled. Gritted her teeth through the pain.
“I’m not going to break, Allen.”
He raised a brow, but it wasn’t mockery. Just interest.
“I know,” he said quietly.
Her voice dropped. “I’m not afraid.”
He tilted his head.
Azura tightened her grip.
“But I still want to hit you once. Just once.”
The arena wind kicked up again.
The shadows danced around the broken columns like ghosts circling a pyre. Her heartbeat thudded loud in her ears. Her breath tasted like iron and adrenaline. The scent of cursed dust filled her lungs.
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Thank you for the Magic Castle, William_Tex!
600 Power Stone = 1 bonus chapters
400 Golden Ticket= 1 bonus chapter
Magic Castle= 4 bonus chapters
Space Craft= 6 bonus chapters
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